AC replacement
$7,350
Typical for a 1,500–2,500 sq ft home. Most jobs run $4,900–$11,100.
All of District of Columbia
District of Columbia
HVAC prices in Washington
$7,350
AC replacement typical, 1,500–2,500 sq ft
1983
Median home built Census ACS
Most AC replacement quotes here land between $4,900 and $11,100. Every figure is local: wages, prices, climate and permits for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area.
The median home here was built in 1983; 48% heat with gas and 45% with electricity (Census ACS). Photo: Mark Stebnicki on Pexels.
Check a quote hereThe numbers here
What HVAC costs in Washington, in four figures
Prices, wages and weather for this metro, against the other metros in the state.
HVAC technician wage
$35/hr
Median hourly pay here against $29.33 for the US (BLS OEWS). Labor is a third of a typical install.
Hot days a year
38≥90°F
1,634 cooling and 3,918 heating degree days in a normal year, 1991–2020 (NOAA).
HVAC companies
1,639
6.9 for every 10,000 homes (Census County Business Patterns). More competition tends to mean tighter quotes.
HVAC technician pay
Half the 8,730 HVAC techs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro earn more than $34.58 an hour ($71,920 a year), 15% below the District of Columbia median. Shops here bill that hour at about $133 in our price model.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025; billable rate from the HVACFIND price model.
HVAC technician salary in Washington$34.58
Median hourly pay for HVAC technicians in Washington
Replace or install
New systems in Washington
Typical installed prices for a 1,500–2,500 sq ft home, with the range most quotes fall in.
- 3-ton home
- 1–2 days
- Permit
$4,900–$11,100 typical $7,350
- 3-ton home
- 1–2 days
- Permit
$7,200–$14,450 typical $10,200
- 3-ton home
- 1–2 days
- Permit
$3,800–$8,500 typical $5,700
- 3-ton home
- 1–2 days
- Permit
$8,950–$16,650 typical $12,200
- 3-ton home
- 1–2 days
- Permit
$4,200–$7,750 typical $5,700
Local factors
What moves the price in Washington
The same four facts on every place page, so two places read side by side compare the same rows.
Climate
Zone 4A
Heating degree days per year, 1991–2020 normals. More means a bigger heating load.
3,918
Freezing nights
Nights at 32°F or colder
A cold climate changes which heat pump you need.
68
Electricity
Virginia Electric & Power Co
Residential rate. It sets what an efficient system saves you each year.
14.1¢
Permit
Required for a replacement
The contractor pulls it and books the inspection.
—
Repair and service
Repairs and tune-ups
Visit, diagnosis and the common repair, at local rates.
- Typical home
- Same day
- No permit
$360–$560 typical $450
- Typical home
- Same day
- No permit
$260–$640 typical $410
- Typical home
- Same day
- No permit
$380–$590 typical $470
- Typical home
- Same day
- No permit
$120–$290 typical $190
- Typical home
- Same day
- No permit
$420–$670 typical $530
Second opinion
Get one fair quote from a licensed local pro
Tell us the job and when suits you. We confirm by phone or text, then pass your request to one licensed contractor who covers your ZIP. Nobody else gets your number.
- We confirm the job before anyone calls you
- One contractor, never a bidding list
- License checked with the state
- Free for homeowners